Magical Tool Master Dahlia Never Compromises ~ Starting Today: Life as a Freelancer ~

"Huh? You're not trying to flirt, you're looking for someone, right?"

"……Yeah?"

"Anyway, drink the wine while it's still cold."

After they returned to their original table and had a simple toast, she finally calmed down.

The Red Ale had a fruity aroma and was delicious. It was surprisingly cold and went down very smoothly.

"Was that an ice bracelet just now?"

"Yes, I modified it. I was afraid of hitting the opponent so I swung it diagonally downwards, but it was difficult to adjust the angle."

"Wouldn't it be better to just turn that kind of man into a block of ice?"

"He only grabbed my hand, so there's no need to call for the guards... Oh, and if we can add an ice-adjusting function, maybe we can make an ice sword."

"...Can that function be added to a sword?"

Wolf's habit of "linking everything to the magic sword" breaks out, and Dalia takes advantage of the situation to improve his mood.

"I don't know the sword's adjustment function, but I think it should be possible to add the ability to freeze it. However, with my magic power, I can probably only create a 'sword that maintains temporary coldness'."

"If you use that as a pillow during the summer expedition, it should be easy to sleep."

"Wolver, the freezing function is added to the blade. If you sleep on it, your head will be cut off."

"This way I can atone for my sins and rest in peace underground forever..."

"Don't say such scary things!"

It's about time she got used to complaining or gave up arguing.

Once they start chatting, the topic always veers off course without them noticing.

"I need to stop by the weapons shop on my way back to buy a dagger. Would you like to meet me at a nearby cafe? Or is there another store you'd like to visit?"

Wolf asked this as the Red Ale was almost finished.

"Can't we go to the weapon shop together?"

"I thought you didn't like going to weapon shops."

"Not at all. My father always tries to stop me from going, so I really want to go and see for myself."

"What a surprise! I thought your father would encourage you to visit the weapons shop."

"Ever since I was little, he's always said, 'If you stare too intently, you might get hurt.'"

"Weapons are dangerous, and there are a lot of men in the store. He might be worried about you."

"No, actually, I was also wrong. I'm reflecting on it..."

Dalia looked at the trees deep in the park. The bright green of early summer was quite dazzling.

"When I was in college, I confidently said, 'I'm grown up now, I can go to a weapons store alone!' But the next day, I got burned by slime. After that, I promised my father that I would never go to a weapons store alone."

"Burns from slime... ah, was that when waterproofing was invented?"

"Yes. I ground various slimes into powder and added them to different potions for experimentation. I was working late into the night testing the proportions and types when I dozed off and forgot to use a glass spoon. I stirred with my gloved hands instead."

"Slime is a strong acid. It will corrode people and animals if they come into contact with it."

"Yes, that experiment unfortunately increased the slime's acidity, turning it into a highly corrosive liquid that melted my gloves. The black slime we used back then was different from the blue slime. Even if it was ground into powder, the paralyzing toxin inside would not disappear. My hands were numb and I couldn't move them. Not only could I not feel any pain, I couldn't even feel anything..."

"You can imagine the terrible consequences..."

Wolfe lowered his head and placed his left hand on his forehead.

"Deciding I couldn't handle this, I told my father that my hand felt strange. He pulled it out of the medicine barrel, sprinkled it with healing potion, and called a carriage to take me to the temple. My hand was still wrapped in a cloth, and the priest treated it without even letting me see the condition, so I had no idea how serious the burn was."

"...Dalia, how much did the medical bills cost?"

"Uh, it seems to be two gold coins."

"Then it's more than just a burn. After all the spray and the expensive treatment, the bone might have already been exposed."

"what?"

"Huh? You only need to pay gold coins for serious injuries. This is no joke!"

"Seriously injured...?"

Dalia was shocked. She asked several times, but her father only said it was a "severe burn."

"Some seriously injured people die of fright at the sight of their own blood and bones. Your father might have been concerned about this, so he wrapped your hand in cloth. Even knights have died from slime. Furthermore, it's black slime, which is ineffective against fire, water, and wind attacks. Once you get stuck, it's difficult to remove."

"Eh, black slime can 'resist fire, water, and wind attacks, and still be hard to remove'?"

"Dalia, who's telling you this?"

It turns out that those golden eyes can also reveal such a cold look.

She was so scared that she wanted to kneel down and beg for mercy.

"You were seriously injured while conducting experiments alone. How could your father dare to let you leave the Green Tower? You won't do anything so dangerous now, will you?"

“…No.”

Wolff gave her a serious lecture. His attitude was different from usual and a bit scary.

He talked about a lot of things to pay attention to regarding slimes. Seeing Dahlia nodding and listening obediently, he came to his senses and covered his mouth with his hands.

"...I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so angry."

"No, I'm seriously reflecting on this."

She was so badly injured that her father was of course worried and didn't dare let her go to the weapons store alone.

"I finally understand why you looked so sad when we were talking about Chi Kai's work. It turns out that when I worry about others, I become so nagging..."

Unexpectedly, this embarrassing incident actually promoted their understanding of each other and themselves.

But for some reason, she thought this was pretty good.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

There were no guests at the moment. Flores was stroking his white beard, thinking it was almost time for lunch, when the doorbell suddenly rang.

After the store door was slowly pushed open, it remained motionless.

A woman who looked out of place in the weapons shop walked in, followed by a tall, dark-haired man who pushed the door for her.

Few men would be so considerate as to open the old oak door and let a woman pass first. Judging from the polite manner in which they were escorted, one of them might be a noble.

Flores wanted to yell: Don’t come to my weapons shop on a date just because you’re curious!

"Welcome."

Although he thought so in his heart, he was the boss after all, so he still greeted him politely.

The two guests responded politely.

Looking closely, I found that the man had been here before and was an ideal handsome guy in the eyes of women.

His black hair and golden eyes remind people of the black panthers of the southern grasslands.

However, Flores thought that since he was so tall, it would be better for him to replace the long sword with a greatsword and build up the corresponding muscles.

The woman should have come with him.

She has bright red hair, good looks and makeup skills. She looks very cool in a light blue top and dark blue skirt.

That outfit is quite eye-catching and beautiful.

Flores particularly likes the curves of her backside.

The two of them walked around the store.

Whenever the woman's green eyes darted around, the man would immediately pay attention to her feet and the surrounding safety, not wanting her to get hurt. This overprotective attitude made Flores laugh in his heart.

Like a knight guarding a princess.

Later, when two people came to the counter, he thought it was a man who wanted to buy something.

Unexpectedly, the person who spoke to him after nodding slightly was the red-haired woman.

"Excuse me for disturbing you. We're looking for a dagger that can be enchanted. Do you have any that can be disassembled and aren't too expensive?"

"Yes, yes. I'll get it."

The polite words and attitude made him nervous so much that his voice rose.

The main customers of this weapon shop were adventurers. Both men and women spoke rudely and had bold attitudes. He rarely saw such women.

Flores placed the three daggers on the table. The woman's green eyes lit up and she leaned forward to stare at the daggers.

For some reason, he remembered the look on his cat's face when it first received a toy.

"You can take out your sword and see."

After he said this, the woman was about to reach out but paused.

She glanced at the man next to her and found that the tall man was looking at her worriedly.

Flores found it amusing. She wasn't a child, so how could she get hurt by a scabbarded dagger? Perhaps the noble lady had sneaked out to play, and the man was truly overprotective of her.

But she still reached out her hand carefully and examined them one by one.

Those daggers were cheap, but she treasured them as if they were treasures. Flores found it somewhat strange.

"Do you know where the iron for this sword is made?"

The woman suddenly asked an unexpected question.

As a weapons shop owner, it was quite pleasant to chat with customers about weapons. However, this woman was asking about details like materials and disassembly, which didn't sound like an ordinary noble lady.

Looking closely, he saw that her nails were very short and her hands were quite rough. He remembered the word "magic empowerment" she had just asked about and couldn't help asking her:

"Are you a magician? Or an alchemist?"

"No, I'm a magic tool master."

The woman answered with a smile, and for some reason the man behind her also smiled.

In the eyes of most people, magical tool makers are not as good as mages and alchemists, but they seem to be proud of it.

That smile is really nice.

"I want two of these daggers. Can I buy the hilts, tsubasa, and scabbards separately?"

"Can."

The woman looked at them and finally chose the shortest dagger with a red handle.

She chose cheap, no-brand items.

The man suggested that she buy something more expensive, but she wouldn't listen.

"There's also a short sword with a screw-fastened hilt that can be imbued with magic."

After hearing what he said, the woman said she wanted to see it, so he took out three daggers.

The woman started asking questions again, and he explained the materials and screws one by one.

After answering all the questions, the woman smiled brightly with satisfaction.

"I want to buy two more of these swords, and two sets each of screws, hilts, tsubasa, and scabbards."

Although her purchases were inexpensive, Flores felt strangely satisfied.

He suddenly discovered something.

When the woman asked the question, no, even now, she looked at him with the respect she would give to a mentor. Realizing this, he felt embarrassed.

The man paid for it, but he looked very happy.

It was the first time Flores saw a man helping a woman buy weapons with such a happy look on his face.

What kind of magic were they going to give? Who was going to use it? Where? He wanted to ask the woman about it later, if he had the chance.

"Thank you for coming."

"We'll come back."

After saying the standard greeting, the two left the weapon shop.

Just like when they came, the man opened the door and escorted the woman out. This time, Flores felt inexplicably warm.